The guards were worried, but they still did as they were told. Even after walking far away, they couldn't help glancing back, their hearts heavy with concern about the seal. Everyone could tell that this disturbance was far more serious than anything before.
At the passage entrance, the formation's glow grew brighter and brighter.
Song Wanníng struggled to sit up, her body weak, while Baili Shang and Xuan Yan rushed over to shield the others at the center.
All eyes were fixed on the formation as it devoured the seal inside bit by bit.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats.
This was it—success or failure, everything depended on this moment!
Countless gazes turned toward the depths of the passage. As long as the formation there lit up and the seal transferred, they'd have won!
"One... two... three..."
Song Wanníng silently counted in her heart, watching as the light of the formation began to dim.
Boom!
In the depths of the passage, another formation suddenly flared to life. Blinding light engulfed them completely, erasing everything from sight.
...
In both the Spirit Realm and the Lower Realm, the dark world suddenly shook violently. The tremors were so fierce that no one could stand upright.
Even cultivators who could normally fly found themselves pinned to the ground, trapped by crushing gravity like ordinary mortals.
Mountains split apart. Lakes and oceans churned.
It was like the end of the world. Thunderous rumbles filled the air, and terrified screams echoed everywhere. People scrambled to hide, clutching their families and friends, their hearts drowning in fear.
In that moment, everyone thought the same thing—
The world was ending.
They were going to die.
No one could escape.
Then it got worse. The ground beneath them shook even harder, flipping like an overturned plate and throwing everyone down. They rolled helplessly with the quakes, surrounded by collapsing mountains and weeping cries that turned the land into a living hell.
At the Heavenly Chasm, the seal wavered, and countless monsters burst free.
But Mo Yang Xiānzūn was already prepared. The instant the seal loosened, they activated a formation to hold the creatures back, then charged forward with a drawn sword.
Each swing of their blade cut down another monster, and each strike helped suppress the seal.
As long as they could stabilize it, there was still hope for the Lower Realm.
...
Time crawled by, every second feeling like eternity.
For everyone, it was the longest moment of their lives.
The endless fear gnawed at their minds. But just when despair was about to swallow them whole, the darkness above suddenly split apart.
Sunlight burst through the clouds, flooding the land in gold. Brilliant rays of color spread across the sky, painting the world in vivid hues.
The shaking stopped. The rumbling faded. Everything grew calm again, as if nothing had ever happened.
But some cultivators' faces turned pale. At some point, their surroundings had changed completely. Everyone looked around, confused and uneasy.
What... happened?
Meanwhile, in the passage, Song Wanníng and the others saw the formation finish transferring the seal deep into the tunnel.
When the light faded, the new seal appeared, perfectly isolating the passage from the space rift beyond.
Song Wanníng could almost feel the furious power of the Mùsù star system's Heavenly Dao raging in frustration.
A faint smile curved her lips, and she finally collapsed, utterly drained.
The others followed soon after. Seeing the transfer complete, they let go of the last bit of strength holding them up and fell to the ground.
Baili Shang and Xuan Yan glanced at the group. After confirming no one was in danger, they turned to finish off the remaining monsters.
The rift was sealed now. No more monsters would pour into the Lower Realm.
All that was left was to wipe out the ones already here.
Boom!
With the final monster slain, both Xuan Yan and Baili Shang dropped to the ground, completely spent.
They'd been fighting on sheer willpower.
The passage fell silent.
For a long time, no one moved. Then, slowly, they exchanged glances—
And burst into laughter.
"Heh... who'd have thought we'd actually live through that!"
"Yeah, I really thought I was done for!"
Their laughter was rough and tired, full of disbelief and relief. Just being alive was already a miracle. None of them even cared about their cultivation anymore.
Song Wanníng laughed too. Her voice was light and clear, echoing beautifully through the tunnel.
It was the first time she'd laughed so freely since her rebirth—no burdens, no hesitation, only pure joy.
Fighting side by side and surviving together filled her with a deep sense of happiness.
They'd all made it.
The seal was transferred.
They'd done it.
Their laughter lingered for a long while before fading into silence.
When they'd recovered a bit of strength, they carefully pushed themselves up.
Song Wanníng looked at Xuan Yan and chuckled. "Sorry, I said I'd take you to ascend to the Immortal Realm, but I broke my promise."
Her tone was helpless, almost self-mocking. Back then, she'd thought things would go smoothly.
Xuan Yan's expression was complicated. After a moment, he sighed softly.
"Since I chose to follow you, I'll wait. You can rebuild your cultivation, and I'll wait as long as it takes. I've already waited hundreds of thousands of years, so what's a little longer?"
His voice was firm. Song Wanníng's final sacrifice had completely won his respect. Anyone who'd risk their life for their comrades would never be someone ordinary.
Song Wanníng smiled and met his gaze seriously. "Alright."
That simple word carried the weight of a silent promise between them.
Baili Shang watched quietly, feeling an ache in his chest. He never thought he'd live to envy a monster. He turned to his father, the Demon King, whose body had aged terribly, and held his hand tight.
No matter what happened, he'd protect his father from now on. "I'll take care of you, Father. From now on, it's my turn to protect you."
"Let's go," Song Wanníng said softly. "The world outside... it's probably changed completely by now."
Her eyes flickered with a trace of hope, though it quickly dimmed with worry.
If her parents and Master saw her like this, would they feel sad?
The thought faded almost as quickly as it came.
Looks didn't matter. She was still alive. She could rebuild from here.
One day, she'd ascend again.
Holding onto that belief, Song Wanníng led everyone out of the tomb.
The moment they stepped outside, everything seemed different—yet somehow unchanged. Only the sky was dazzling, filled with endless multicolored light.
Everyone lifted their heads.
Brilliant clouds gathered above, like blazing flames celebrating the rebirth of two worlds. Then, one by one, the colorful lights fell, surrounding them.
They froze for a moment as golden energy flooded into their bodies. Streams of radiant light poured from every corner of the world, converging on them.
Most of it flowed straight into Song Wanníng.
The golden glow completely enveloped her.
It was the power of virtue—
The reward for changing the fate of the world itself.